Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-03-02


only scrimmage we've had has been with the
d. .tectives that were on the robbers track.
Ha! ha! The best people we've met have
been the friends of the men we were huntin',
and we've generally come to the conclusion
to vote the other ticket! Ez Judge Hale and
me agreed ez we came along, the two men ez
we'd most like to see just now and shake
hands with are George Leo and Ned Falk-
ner."
aThe two leaders Of the party who robbed
the COACH" explained Mr.. Hale. with a
slight return of his usual precision Of state
ment.
The three women looked at each other with
blaze 6f thanksgiving in their grateful eyes.
Without comprehending oil that Col. Clinch
had said, they understood enough to know
that their late guests were safe from the
pursuit Of that party, and that their own
conduct was spared criticism. hardly dare
write it, but they instantly assumed the ap-
pearance Of aggrieved martyrs, and felt as
If they werel
ayes, Iadies!" continued the colonel, in
spired by the bright eyes fixed upon him.
ave haven't taken the road ourselves yet, but
-pohn honor-we wouldn't mind doing it in
q case like this" Then with the fluent but
somewhat exaggerated phraseology OF a man
trained to stump" speaking, he gave an
account Of the robbery and his own con-
nection with it. He spoke OF the swindling
and treachery which had undoubtedly pro-
voked Falkner to obtain restitution OF his
property by an overt act of violence under
the leadership of Lee. He added that he had
learned since at Wild Cat Station that
Harkins had fed the country, that a suit had
been commenced by the Excelsior Ditch
company, and that all available property OF
Harkins had been seized by the sheriff.
"Of course it can't be proved yet, but
there's no doubt in my mind that Lee, who
is an old friend of Ned Falkner's, got up that
job to help him, and that Neds off with the
money by this time-and I'm right glad OF
it. I can't say ez we've done much toward
it, except to keep tumbling in the way OF
that detective party of Stanner's, and so
throw them Off the trail-ha, ha! The judge
here, reckon, has had his share Of fun, for
while he was at Hennicker's trying to get
some facts from Hennicker's pretty daughter,
Stanner tried to get up some sort of vigilance
committee Of the stage passengers to burn
down Hennicker's ranch out of spite, but the
judge here stepped in and stopped that"
ut was really a highhanded proceeding,
Josephine, but managed to check it," said
Hale, meeting somewhat consciously the first
direct look his wife had cast upon him, and
falling back for support on his old manner.
"In its way, think it was worse than the
robbery by Lee and Falkner, for it was done
in the name of law and order; while, as
far as can judge from the facts, the affair
that we were following up was simply rude
and irregular restitution OF property that
had been morally stolen"
81 have no doubt you did quite right,
though don't understand it, said Mrs. Hale,
languidly; "but trust these gentlemen vii!
stay to luncheon and in the meantime excuse
us for RUNNING away, as we are short OF
servants, and Manuel seems to have followed
the example Of the head Of the house and left
us, in pursuit Of somebody or something"
When the three women had gained the
vantage ground Of the drawing room, Kate
said, earnestly, "As it's all right hadn't We
better tell him nowl"
Decidedly not, child, said Mrs. Scott, i'm
peratively. "Do you suppose they are in .
hurry to tell us their whole story' Who are
those Hennicker people! and they were there
Q week agow
"And did you notice Johns hat when he
came in, and the vulgar familiarity Of calling
him 'judgeF" said Mrs. Hale.
"Well, certainly anything like the familiar
ity of this man Clinch I never saw" said
Kate. Contrast his manner with Mr.. Falk
ner's"
At luncheon the three suffering martyrs
finally succeeded in reducing Hale and his
two friends to all attitude Of vague apology.
But their triumph was short lived. At the end
OF the meal they were startled by the tramp
ling of hoofs without, followed by loud
knocking. In another moment the door
was opened and Mr.. Stanner strobe into the
room. Hale rose with q look Of indignation.
II thought, as Mr.. Stanner understood that
I had no desire for his company elsewhere, he
would hardly venture to intrude upon me in
my house, and certainly not after"-
"Ef you're alluding to the Vigilantes shakin'
you and Zeenie up at Hennicker's, you can't
make me responsible for that. I'm here now
on business-you understand-reglar busi-
ness. Ell you want to see the papers yer ken.
I suppose you know what warrant isl"
u know what you are" said Hale hotly,
and il you don't leave my house,
"Steady, boys" interrupted Stanner, as his
five henchmen filed into the hall. "Theres
no backin' down here Col. Cinch, unless you
and Hale kalkilate to back down the state OF
Californy! The matter stands like this:
There's halfbreed Mexican, called Manuel,
arrested over at the Summit, who swears he
saw George Lee and Edward Falkner in this
house the night after the robbery. He says
that they were maxim themselves at home
here, Us if they were among friends, and
considerin' the kind Of help we've had from
Mr.. John Hale, it looks ez If it might be true"
ats nn Infamous liel" said Hale.
ut may be true, John," said Mrs. Scott,
suddenly stepping in front Of her pale
checked daughters. "a wounded man was
brought here out Of the storm by his friend,
who claimed the shelter Of your roof As
Your mother should have been unworthy to
stay beneath it and have denied that shelter
or withheld it until knew his name and
what he was. He stayed here until he could
be removed. He left letter Cor you. 1t will
probably tell you il he was the man this per-
son is seeking"
"Thank you, mother" said Hale, lifting
her hand to his lips quietly; 'and perhaps
you will kindly tell these gentleman that, as
your son does not care to know who or what
the stranger was, there is no necessity for
opening the letter or keeping Mr.. Stanner
moment longer
"But you will oblige me, John, by opening
it before these gentlemen" said Mrs. Hale,
recovering her voict and color "Please to
follow me-" she said, preceding them to the
staircase.
They entered Mr.. Hales room. now re-
stored to its original condition. On the table
lay letter and small package The eyes
of Mr. Stanner, little abashed by the atti
tude Of the two women, fastened upon it and
glistenel.
Josephine handed her husband the letter.
He opened it in breathess silence and read:
"John Hale:
awe owe you no return for voluntarily
making yourself champion OF justice and
pursuing US, except it was to offer you fair
field and no favor. We didn't get that much
from you, but accident brought us into your
house nnl into your family, where we did
get it and were fairly vanquished. To tho
victors belong the spois. We leave the pack
age Of greenbncks which we took from COL
ClincE in the Sierra coach, but which was
first stolen by Harkins from forty four share
holders Of the Excelsior Ditch. We have no
right to say what you should do with it, but
il you aren't tired of following the same line
of justice that induced you to run after us